Austin troupe’s “Nemesis” revives radio drama enjoyably

Take the radio drama – especially any serial in the sci-fi/adventure mode.

Why else would the stage, screen and TV keep returning to this milieu?

In our age of computer-generated films that can depict absolutely anything,there’s something appealing about the radio format, with the home audience imagining the action, while the studio audience witnesses the actors making believe with minimal staging and one guy’s resourceful use of everyday objects creating myriad sound effects.

That’s precisely why The Intergalactic Nemesis proved such a delight in its Friday night performance at Wortham Center. The one-night stand, presented by Society for the Performing Arts, marked the Houston debut of Salvage Vanguard Theatre, a venturesome young Austin troupe.

The script, by Jason Neulander and Chad Nichols, offered droll nonsense about an intrepid gal reporter and her chipper assistant battling invading sludge monsters from the planet Zygon.

Neulander’s direction kept the energy high, with enough movement to keep the presentation from seeming static. Best of all, his terrific cast maintained the right balance of tongue-in-cheek playfulness and straight-faced earnestness.

Lee Eddy was priceless as ace reporter Molly Sloan: tough, fast-talking, unflappable. Inevitably, she seemed to be channeling all those brash 1930s career women played by Rosalind Russell and Katharine Hepburn.

David Higgins made an indefatigably chipper Timmy Mendez, game for anything, the type of sidekick prone to bursts of “Gosh!” and “Holy moley!”

Brent Werzner projected stalwart heroism as Ben Wilcott, the man from the future, who led Molly and Timmy to their rendezvous with destiny. I liked the sincerity of his challenge to the invading Zygonians: “You’ll die a fiery death before I’ll let you take control of this planet.”

L.B. Deyo dispatched his announcer’s chores with brio and amusingly filled several other roles. One brief turn handed him one of the evening’s best lines: “Did you really think you could defeat me, the Queen of the Zygonians? Prepare to meet your fate!”

Michael Joplin also handled multiple roles, most notably the sinister mesmerist Mysterion, a traitor working for the Zygonians (how low can you get?)